Homeless World Cup Comes to Town

I visited the Homeless World Cup yesterday. It is currently being held it Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne. I have to be honest, I don’t know a lot about it, but it sure does seem like an interesting concept.



From the official website.

There are one billion homeless people living in our world today.

The Homeless World Cup exists to end this, so we all have a home, a basic human need.
The Homeless World Cup is an annual, international football tournament, uniting teams of people who are homeless and excluded to take a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country and change their lives forever.

It has triggered and supports grass roots football projects in over 60 nations working with over 25,000 homeless and excluded people throughout the year.
The first tournament took place in Graz 2003 uniting 17 national teams. At the 5th Homeless World Cup in Copenhagen this summer, 48 nations, 500 players were united for a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country. Melbourne is the host city for the next tournament from 1-7 December 2008.

The impact is consistently significant year on year with 73% of players changing their lives for the better by coming off drugs and alcohol, moving into jobs, education, homes, training, reuniting with families and even going on to become players and coaches for pro or semi-pro football teams.


Anyhoo, it got me thinking about the fact I’ve never associated sport and the homeless together. Perhaps because I really don’t think about the homeless much at all. I acknowledge that is not great, but comparatively speaking, my little corner of the world is not as affected as much as most other places on the globe. I have seen them sporadically at home and abroad, but mostly I come across them in books, film and television. South Park was merciless in a recent episode.


There has only been one instance in my life where I have connected the homeless and sport, and that is through basketball. I love the game, as you know. The connection originates from one of my favourite movies growing up, Above The Rim. Say what you like about it, but it taught me a few things.



The moment in the film which will stay with me forever is when young up and coming street star Kyle, finally gets his chance against Ol’Shep. He tries to dribble the ball between his opponents legs, and it’s stolen straight up.

“I ain’t Flip” is all the wise old Shep says.



Flip Johnson (Played by the late Bernie Mac) is a homeless guy in the film who was a young star also, but turned to alcohol and ended up on the streets. Kyle and his friends would mock him and beat him up on and off the court. He was a sad, joke.

“I ain’t Flip.”

Do not underestimate me.

Who do you think I am?

I deserve respect.

I will not be fooled.

Which ever way you say it.

“I ain’t Flip.”

This statement is a motto (or saying) of mine, an obscure reference that I’d say in my head from time to time playing or in other situations. More so in times past, but honestly, it was also on the short list to be the title of my entire blog.

So yesterday as I sat amongst the homeless in the stands, watching other homeless men play soccer, I started thinking about Flip. The tournament has many detractors, but I see the it’s benefits, and possibilities it is providing. These guys ain’t Flip either.

Showing Spirit

"All I can say is build a bridge and get over it. If you want a basketball team in Sydney there is no excuse not to be at the remaining games left to be played in Sydney."
-Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks.



In case you hadn't noticed, the unthinkable almost happened. Something that would have been so costly for the sport of Basketball, currently at the tipping point of survival in this country, it may have been the end. Ok, that's a tad dramatic, but the reality is that the NBL almost lost a team due to financial reasons HALF WAY THROUGH THE SEASON! The Sydney Spirit were extinct, until a Jurassic Park type miracle brought them back. There are many problems with basketball in Sydney, here is how the latest is being addressed.

Here is the official NBL Statement on the situation:

The Sydney Spirit National Basketball League team has been saved, with players and coaching staff from the club voting overnight to accept an adjusted rescue package offered by the League.

The League met with the team on Tuesday morning to confirm their individual financial situations and subsequently adjusted the proposed salary component of the rescue package accordingly. Interim Chief Executive Officer of Basketball Scott Derwin said the decision by the players to accept the rescue package meant that the Spirit would now complete the 2008/09 season.

“Sydney sports fans are now assured the Spirit will play out the current NBL season, with the players and coaching staff courageously agreeing as a group to play on despite it being necessary for them to take significant pay cuts,” said Derwin. “They really are playing for the love of the game and have accepted the absolute bare minimum salary to cover their families’ living expenses. We are glad that we have managed to find a way for the Spirit to continue in the League, given their outlook just over a week ago was very bleak.”

“The issues facing the Spirit have been truly unique and therefore called for a unique solution,” Derwin added. “The League funding the on-going operations of a team in financial trouble is highly unusual, but we believe it was absolutely necessary in this case and we are pleased that the Spirit will now see out the season.”

Derwin said that gate receipts from all remaining Spirit home games will continue to go towards paying the players and coaching staff for their outstanding contractual salaries owed over and above those covered in the rescue package.

“We have made the commitment that, once basic operational costs are covered, all additional profits will be funnelled back to try to make up for what the players and coaching staff are owed under their contracts with the club. That means that by Sydney fans buying a ticket to a Spirit game, they are directly helping the players, coaches and their families through what has been a tremendously stressful period.”


Australia's number one player NBA Star Andrew Bogut, has thrown his support and CASH behind the struggling franchise, with the coach and many of the players being close friends of his from Junior Australia Teams. On ya Bogues.

Here is his comment on the situation, posted on his official web/blog site. Which is actually a fantastic read and is kept up to date by the big fella very well.

"Great news from Australia and the NBL. The Sydney Spirit lives on. This is great for the game in Australia, for now, as losing a team mid season would be simply and plainly unacceptable. I commend the players for being professional throughout this ordeal, with some even taking pay cuts. Click here for more information. The only other thing I would say is go and support the Spirit. There crowd numbers are around 1000 people. Now surely there are more basketball fans in Sydney then that. I do understand the bitterness some fans would have with the Kings going under, and the Razorbacks changing names to appeal to all fans in Sydney. All I can say is build a bridge and get over it. If you want a basketball team in Sydney, especially considering there is a reform coming next year there is no excuse not to be at the remaining games left to be played in Sydney. From what I hear the tickets are very affordable, so please Sydney fans put the past behind you and get out and support your only NBL team. If Sydney shows the NBL it can support a team now through all this turmoil, you can bet the NBL would think hard about having a team there next year. I am now officially backing the Spirit this year and I hope they win the NBL Championship. I am a Sydney Spirit fan, put it in the books."

Cleveland Rocks... OHIO!

One Man Weave is now officially global.


Carolyn from Cleveland.com's And One Blog recently dissected the article where I threw in a theory about High School Musical being able to help the state of basketball in this country. It was written somewhat tongue in cheek, which I think was eventually understood, but here is her take on it!

I believe she stumbled across the article through JR on Fire or ASternWarning, or maybe she just noticed the Drew Carey Show picture (a few posts back) and the fact that "Lewis" from the series is now playing for the South Dragons.

Either way, it gave me wonderful feeling when she professed, "I love this guy."

Thanks mate. I love you too.

Could Zac Efron Save Our Sport?

It is possible that High School Musical movies could possibly be doing more for the sport of basketball at the grassroots level in this country than the NBL and all other organisations combined?

I have been looking outside the box for signs that basketball is still alive beyond the hard core. I’m glad to announce there is a pulse, and it’s worth not pulling the plug just yet.

I have not seen any of the movies, but it seems that there is definitely a correlation with the amount of youngsters (especially young girls) enjoying basketball. With research now showing that basketball is the ‘coolest’ sport among the Under 10’s range*, an important demographic for the future of the sport. Thanks to this movie.

Obviously the connection has been made before, as this clip aired on Fox Sports for a time. I like the effort, but it seemed a bit B Grade.



The third movie is about to be released and the cast is in the country to promote. A Zac Efron poster was the centre page pull out of the Sunday Herald Sun. It was a plain poster with nothing more than a picture of the star in plain clothes and a blank background. The only thing that differentiates this picture from a driver’s license or mug shot (well he is a celeb) is the fact that he is holding a Top Flite Basketball. Something that most people wouldn’t think anything of, but for someone like myself who looks for anyway to promote the game, having the star of the biggest kids movie franchise in years hold a basketball (one that anyone can pick up an exact replica at REBEL Sport, $69.95 for xmas) is a big deal, and it got me thinking… They look up to the superdupersportstars!

Seamus or ‘Visy Guy’ should have moved fast to get this guy an NBL appearance! I guarantee HiSense Arena would have been packed last night if Zac was there in a Dragons Jersey! They already let Harry Potter slip through their grasp when he attended a game last season and no one really knew! It had to be done!


HSM is doing what ‘One Tree Hill’ did to the 16-22 yr range for basketball awareness amongst the (predominantly female) masses. It’s made a positive association with pop culture and basketball. I’ve seen a few episodes and all I remember from them are the basketball scenes of which there were many, Chad Michael Murray shoots a brick and hears the wrath of a sarcastic cheerleader, “Nice shot.” His response, “Nice Legs.” I remember some strange things.

It’s rare that a girl would say ‘I like basketball players’, growing up in Melbourne and witnessing firsthand the nightclub/footy player scene, maybe the next generation will have basketball competing for the affections of footy chicks with aspirations of celebrity and notoriety... and money.

This is more than Declan making the AFL in Neighbours. The AFL doesn’t really need much help. If only one of the locals shows would have a likable star that plays basketball… But let’s face it, who are the kids watching. Aussie shows or US shows. It really is no comparison.


Turtle from Entourage is wearing Jordan Brand all the time. And everywhere I look around the city Asian dudes are too. But you never see them at ‘The Cage’, or Vodaphone Arena, unless And 1 is in town! It really alls comes down to money, and how it’s spent to get this game going here.

With the new league starting in 09, and NBL wallets finally being reopened, things could get very interesting.

Andrew Bogut has failed to attract the masses to the sport. That is not necessarily his fault. (Although this hair cut certainly set him back a ways). Patrick Mills on the other hand has the potential to do something that no other Aussie Basketballer in memory has achieved. There aren’t many six foot eight and above models. Something about the lanky loping giants intimidates. Patty Mills has the charisma to really be the Michael Jordan for this country that Andrew Gaze could never really be. Sure everyone saw how good of a player he was, and certainly a great guy, but Mills could sell things ala Jordan. And that is really what is needed.



Kids will buy Patrick Mills Merchandise, they will come to see him play, he is exciting. He is cool. He is the Real Life Aussie CMM & Zac Effron. Get him in a movie.

Trust me.


*Statistics collected after consultation with two cousins and one Primary School Teacher sister who quotes “They all love it. Every second kid has HSM bag, pencil case or drink bottle!”

A New NBL, but until then...

Once again the NBL has kicked off in a more than quiet fashion. But, I assure you, it has begun. Although, any news or highlights don't seem to have filtered through to anywhere other than cyberspace. It doesn't even get news coverage on something like Sports Tonight, which will show any sporting tripe to fill it's program. Surely the NBL doesn't have to pay to be reported on? That would explain it I guess.

The common perception is that the NBL has decided to get through this season 08/09 as quickly, quietly and cheaply as possible, ready to shut it down and return as the NEW NBL in late 2009.

As I sat there, losing minutes off my life after inhaling the artifical Dragon Smoke that hovered over the court, like the ghosts of NBL past. I decided I better take in as much as I can of my surroundings, because who knows what the NBL may look like in the future? Phrases like "New NBL" make me nervous. You don't really know what you're going to get. But, at least we have people thinking about saving this sinking ship, and an independant report, which has just been released, which didn't mince words.

So here's what I can tell you about some of the characters from the Dragons v Wildcats match up on September 17th:

Ben Knight appears happy just to be "back in the NBL" so to speak after his journey on the Singpore Slingers rollercoaster.

Brad Robbins looks like he could be playing for the Auckland Warriors in the NRL, with the stocky, bearded, guard bouncing around fearlessly among the bigger guards.


Isiah (spelling) Victor could be any number of mediocore players in the NBL, but because he's american, he should be your import for the season? I don't think so.



Nick Horvath seems like a good guy, but looks pretty goofy,and a hell of a lot like Ryan Stiles from Drew Carey and "who's line is it anyway", but he doesn't excite me. You can see why he wasn't import material. You need someone more exciting than that. The Dragons learnt their lesson with Todd Fuller I suppose.



Alex Loughton has some crazy hair. I was trying to think of a way to describe it, but then came across this picture which said it all. Jackie Moon. Still I think he has a good future in the NBL, maybe he needs a headband?


Oh yeah, and the Dragons won.

GO TEAM.

NBA Collector

I've never really written about my hobby for collecting NBA Toys, figurines... dolls. I love them. The ones described today have been made by McFarlane.
I have collected the figurines since 2004, when Detriot Bad Boy Ben Wallace, was stealing the hearts of the basketball - Laker Hater world. My first purchase, I had to have him.

From then, my collection grew slowly, until it peaked with a mass influx in December 2007. Originally I would pay the jacked up prices of Kickz101, it was the only way. But soon ebay came to the rescue.


I have a specific way I select which toys I will buy, which colour uniform they will be wearing, and whether they recieve pride of place in my ever changing/rearranging display of them. The rules are not always hard and fast, but each toy must mean something to me. Whether the figure was a gift, I saw that player in a game in person, I like their character, the way the figure captures their style, or met them. There are many influences over my choices.

I simply do not have space for them all in the picture below, so if you tick me off, you're out! Kevin Garnett will never take pride of place again, Lebron is in my doghouse, and I love Yao, but his massive frame cannot support the pole to the figure. I know now how his legs often buckle so easily on the court!



Below is a video example of how a figure is made, and some of the great pictures of other types of McFarlane work.



SEE HOW AN IDEA BECOMES A TOY

I've been ridiculed by many for collecting them, some people are impressed, some not and others are scared of their life like appearance, thinking presumably that they burst to life come nightfall and wreak havoc.

One man, Rob Daly, is a believer, and his collection now rivals even mine.

Who wants to 'grow up' when playing with toys can be this much fun!

Below: Some of the different ways Todd McFarlane brings Pop Culture to life!

It's Gotta Be Red

Luke Schenscher, former NCAA and NBA player, who at 7"1' has joined his hometown Adelaide 36ers for the up coming season, is looking to join a growing list of prominent Aussie sports stars.



In what seems to be a growing trend, natural red heads are letting their hair down. They seem to be embracing the natural colour, not hiding from it like other sportsman have done in the past.


I watched a TV interview of Beijing Olympic Gold Medalist, Steve Hooker the other morning, and he was talking about how proud he was to be a Red Headed Sporting Champion, and how he was proud of himself and Cameron Ling, as now recognisable sporting success stories for red heads.

Surely you now have to add Luke Schenscher into that group, who are not just embracing it, but have it HUMMING!! He has taken the "Luc Longley" to a whole new level, and added in a pony tail for good measure.
Outstanding.

Congrats to all red heads, it truly is a great time to be red!

Only time will tell if his influence on the looks of his fellow gingers carries over to new teammate at the 36ers, Adam Ballinger.

Lets hope so.

Matt McQuade, has done a great preview article on the 2008/09 Adelaide 36ers on nbl.com.au

You've Been... Thunderstuck!

You may have heard the NBA has a new Franchise.

The team was moved from the city of Seattle after a new stadium deal (among many other intricate complications) couldn't be reached.

The move is particularly heartbreaking for the fans of the Sonics, and the city of Seattle, who feel that team owner Clay Bennett only purchased the team, so that he could hijack it, and move it to his home town of Oklahoma City.



Throughout last season as the uncertainty surrounding the Sonics developed and ultimately came to a head, an organisation was formed by locals to help keep the team in Seattly. "S.O.S" or Save Our Sonics, unfortunatley couldn't compete with the big guys.



The Sonics have been on a continual downward spiral since their "Payton to Kemp, Alley Oop!" glory days of the mid nineties, when kids all over the world knew the team well!
Today, the team from Oklahoma City announced it's team nickname, colours and logo.


After months of speculation, and continued annomosity from the Seattle area, the OKC Thunder was born.

Already it has been widely condemned for it's choice of name, colours and logo, which many suggest are well below professional sports standards. I don't disagree, although I like the name Thunder. I think I'll call my next horse Thunder. Done.

The biggest complaint has come from the Golden State Warriors who, feature a mascot on their logo named 'Thunder', and who also wear very similar colours to the ones chosen by OKC.


If you are having trouble seeing the pictures, simply click on the link to my blog below.

Dragonflies, D-Boys and "The Toaster"!

On Saturday I saw an NBL preseason game. Boring right? WRONG!

It was the perfect way to start my NBL Season. Melbourne Tigers v Crazy John South Dragons.
Although it was a preseason game, and very, very scrappy. I loved it.

If you have seen 'The Perfect Catch', you'll know what I'm talking about. I'm THAT into it.


Here are a few observations and comments from the afternoon:

Firstly Vodaphone Arena or "The Phone Box" is no more. It is now the HiSense Arena, of which I'm yet to hear the new nickname.

They have made their mark at the Stadium in a number of ways, the most notable painting the outside area of the court and other surrounding areas in what I assume is "HiSense Aqua" colour. For a second I thought it was '95 again and I half expected Pat Reidy, Paul "the Mailman" Maley and the "Booze Less, Be Your Best" Giants run out.

Unfortunately, my plea to have the Dragons announcer sacked last season obviously fell on deaf ears, as he's back again, with his ability to get the crowd so pumped up we nearly broke into a 'Mexican Yawn'. Although credit to the Dragons, after losing Glenn Manton as his sidekick from last year, they introduced Andrew "The Toaster" Parkinson, as the new guy. He did a great first up job. Although it's funny how 'the Rattler' (the Tigers Announcer) can handle it all himself just fine over at the Cage?

Another pre game extravaganza from the Dragons Cheerleaders. They still haven't quite figured this all out yet. The 'DragonFlies' (girls) and the 'D-Boys' (guys), both bring something different to the table. The girls are more like a caberet show than cheerleaders, and the guys are very impressive break dancers, but don't really get the crowd pumped up. Once again, I can't help but think the Tigers Dancers can provide the same fun, dancing, cheering and the athletic side of things on their own. The Dragons have gone for a different style, and that's fine too.


The game itself didn't really sustain my interest for the whole 4 quarters, but there were some great signs for NBL in Victoria this season.

For the Tigers:
Chris Anstey - just toyed with the Dragons for a half, and then put the Q in the rack for the second. 20pts on 5/6 Three Point shots in the FIRST quarter alone, pretty much summed up his intentions.

Rod Grizzard - played every minute for his new side and impressed with some huge dunks.

Sammy Mac - played his first minutes as a Tiger, and had me pumped when he overpowered Nick Horvath for the And 1 on his very first play. But from then on he seemed to be moving slower and looking older than Andrew Gaze right now.

Dmac - who came out of retirement to help the undermanned Tigers was even grumpier than ever.


For the Dragons:

Things didn't start well. Guy Molloy was doing the coaching as Goorj sat back on the bench and just observed.
Not sure if he appreciated the heckle heard through the stadium at an early interval "Take a seat Guy Molloy, we have a real coach this year!"

New import Tremmell Darden started well, and looks to be a bit of a Dave Thomas style player.

Reece Carter caught fire from 3 in the third quarter and finished very strongly. He'll be great off the bench this season. I like his game.

Overall, I think the signs are pretty great for both teams with the Tigers core for 08/09 looking like this:

Anstey, Mackinnon, Barlow, Grizzard, Hoare, Crosswell, Corletto (and possibly Ebi Ere!)

and the Dragons core looking like this:

Horvath, Worthington, Ingles, Darden, Groves, Gibson, Carter and Burston - Quack Quack!


Feel free to post any comments.

Ryan Mobilia.

Blogging from DOWN TOWN!

NBL Star John 'the real deal' Rillie is a blogger.



I had known this for a while, but hadnt checked back on his site for quite a while. Let me tell you, it's impressive. It gives some cred to Aussie ballers and provides a missing link between fans hearing about life in the US/Euro world of bball or nothing at all. Some NBL sites (Tigers, Dragons) have tried to get players to write for their sites, but although it is often amusing, it lacks substance and the passion which is clearly evident the moment this site loads before your eyes!

I have put a link to the site on my BLOG LIST on the side of my page, and I will be checking in throughout the course of the upcoming season. I haven't been this impressed since Chris Anstey routinely answered all sorts of questions (almost daily) on his official site! (Until he almost had to shut it down completely due to over-interest!)

I have always been a fan of Rillie, and I'll never forget some of the awesome "On Fire" displays he put forth, particularly for those great West Sydney Razorbacks playoff teams!

Kevin Garnett punches Rick Rickert.

I've been holding onto this one for a while. Rickert has a cool name, and a cool game. He was great fun to watch last season for the Breakers until his injury, and was one of the top NBL Dream Team Scorers. I read this about him last year, but only found it in my files again today. It's always good to know something more about a player... this is a great little story. Especially because (as people are begginning to learn) I DON'T LIKE KEVIN GARNETT!

NBA most valuable player Kevin Garnett punched a former University of Minnesota player during a pickup game last week at Target Center, cutting the man's face and chipping his tooth.

Garnett punched Rick Rickert, a second-round draft pick of the Timberwolves last season, according to several sources with knowledge of the event. Seven stitches were required to close the cut on Rickert's chin, said Susan Rickert, the player's mother, during a phone interview yesterday.

Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.

Garnett punched teammate Wally Szczerbiak in the head following an argument, in 2000.

Rudy Rudy Rudy Rudy!

Can't say I like all of the Spanish team, and I have a hard time liking ANYONE from the Greece or Litho teams. But I like this guy. Even before this play, which was great because Dwight Howard was hating getting pushed around like this all game, with that "Don't they know who I am? How dare they!" look on his face. Fernandez is only 21 and is headed to the NBA this coming season to pair with big Greg Oden as the most exciting Rookie pairing ever in Portland!

What are your thoughts on the blogging phenomenon?

I was recently asked to help out a friend with a university assignment regarding this blog. Below are the question and answers that took place.

What is the name of your blog? The name of my blog is "One Man Weave". It's name comes from the sporting "weave" training drill, used commonly in Basketball and other sports. My blog is predominantly comment on basketball, but it also incorporates other aspects of my life 'weaved' in.

What is your blog about? My blog as I stated above is predominantly about basketball, but is also a platform for my other interests such as creative writing and story telling. I have included articles penned by other authors if I find them relevant, and also I include pictures and video from others websites. There is no real set 'topic' or reason for the blog other than a great platform for me to get my thoughts and ideas out there.

How long have you been blogging for? I started this site in 2006, but have been recording my thoughts on things since around 2001, things that one day may be reshaped and used on the blog. Depending on time constraints I can put more and more time into the blog. I aim to have it grow significantly in the next few months.

How did you get in to blogging? My obsession with basketball and my creative nature led to the beginning of the blog. I have aspirations of running a larger website, or having work published and this seemed like a great place to 'cut my teeth' as they say in the business.

Do you have any formal journalism training? I don't have any formal journalism training, although I am planning to study media and/or communications shortly, as my interest in these areas in only increasing as time goes by. I completed a short course in Creative Writing in 2007 which helped immensely with my development and further confirmed my interest.

Have you received any feedback about your blog? I have received various feedback from my writings, and the occasional feedback regarding my blog. It doesn't receive wide attention, but a satisfying day came last year when someone unknown to me left encouraging comments on a piece I had written.

What are your thoughts on the blogging phenomenon? I really think it's great. It's a great tool for creative types who aspire to be heard and do not necessarily have the platform or employment backing to be noticed. It can incorporate so many different types of media, similar to a website, where people can be creative. Hopefully things continue to develop in the world of blogging and I can ride this thing till the wheels fall off!

Praise for Patty Mills

Just a few quotes about Patty Mills from some well respected sources, following his first Olympic campaign.



Just a few quotes about Patty Mills from some well respected sources, following his first Olympic campaign.

"He's good. Man, he's fast. I read something that says he's faster than me. They're probably right. He can move."
-- Chris Paul, USA point guard

"I thought we had one avenue to be successful in this game. That's saying a lot, and that's Patrick Mills. He put on a hell of a show for a young kid playing in his first Olympics with no background in this."
-- Brian Goorijian, Boomers Head Coach

"It's nothing new to anyone on our team, Patty Mills, he's the future of Australian basketball."
-- C.J. Bruton – Starting point guard for Australia

"I'm just glad my Duke team doesn't have to play Saint Mary's. He'll be an NBA guard."
-- Mike Krzyewski, USA Head Coach

"If I was Saint Mary's, I'd be happy to have him right now, because he's a big-time player. He'll be heavily scouted."
-- Tony Ronzone, U.S. Scout and Detroit Pistons player personnel director.


The Aussie to watch is the 5-11 Mills, a speed burner who scorched the U.S. guards, slashing to the hoop and once, after they got serious, splitting a double-team.

Here's how fast he is. Kobe Bryant, who guards the best opposing backcourt player, says he isn't taking Mills.

"Too quick," Bryant said.

Taking Shots

This is the first time I have posted for a long time. The Olympics is almost over. But here is a quick comment on the Exit of the Boomers, at the hands of the conquering USA Redeem Team last night in the Quarter Finals.

I looked through the pics of the game last night, and decided I liked this one the best. Glenn Saville had just drilled a 3 in Wade's face the play before, so next time he comes down again Wade gives him one in the nuts, as Sav nails the three again. And 1.

I have heard first hand some of the great sprays the boy from Bendigo can dish out on the NBL court, bit of a 'Gordon Ramsay' fan you might say. I would give anything to know what he said to Wade afterwards, he sprayed him during and well after the bonus free throw. That was nice.

In a night of overall disapointment, you can at least say most of the Boomers never backed down, and with Channel 7 choosing to show womens softball (last Olympics ever, thank goodness) instead of the first half of the bball game, this was a true highlight for me.

And you know the Aussies never back down...

Mobs